Mia's Questions
by bluegirl-783
Summary: Mia has a few questions to ask the newlyweds about their relationship- the question is, will they answer them?


_A/N: Just something I've been working on- sorry I've disappeared for a while, writer's block, work and studies aren't helping, but I should be back soon!_

Her Majesty Queen Amelia Migonette Thermopolis Renaldia, the new monarch of Genovia, wasn't working.

She was supposed to be working- she had quite a bit of paperwork to peruse- but she was too bus watching the couple chatting quietly on the sofa only a few metres away from her desk.

The couple in question looked as though they had been together for years but, in reality, they had only been 'officially' married a couple of months- but it was the length and details of their relationship that had sparked Mia's interest.

There had been rumours about them over the years- Charlotte and the maids knew everything, although Charlotte had been reluctant to say anything- but Mia had realized that if she wanted the REAL story, she had to speak to the couple themselves and she wasn't quite sure they would say much, after years (of that Mia was certain) of secrecy, discretion and silence.

Although... since the wedding, they had both been much more relaxed and outgoing than they had been for a while- Joseph, now no longer a HOS but retired, smiled more freely and comfortable enough to touch his wife, albeit through discreet gestures such as holding hands, a hand on the small of her back or running a gentle hand up and down her arm; and while Clarisse was more circumspect, Mia saw the shy looks and smiles she gave her husband, like a schoolgirl, as well as the way she stayed closer to him, allowing her guard down, and sharing jokes as they were now, so that she could be what she was- a newly married private citizen, no longer Queen... they definitely deserved to enjoy a new life together.

At that thought, she let out a happy sigh, immediately capturing the attention of both Joseph and Clarisse.

"Have you finished your paperwork already, dear?" Clarisse inquired and Mia, caught out, had the grace to blush and look momentarily embarrassed, shuffled a paper or two on her desk, well aware the other two were watching, before she sighed and gave up the pretence of working, pushing her chair away from her desk and moving away.

"Not quite, but I could use a break... so, what are you two up to?" she inquired as she sat down opposite them and stretched- as well as she could in a narrow skirt, she thought wryly- her legs out before gazing expectantly at the newlyweds.

"Well, we were meeting here so we could adjourn for lunch together," Clarisse replied.

"Oh yes, with Pierre, Nicholas and Charlotte..." Mia frowned for a moment before her expression lightened.

"Well, I'm ready for lunch!"

"It's not being served for half an hour," Joseph pointed out.

"True, but I definitely need a break- the paperwork is SO boring and there's so much of it."

"You've only been in the role for a few months- just wait until you get to where I was," Clarisse teased.

"Thank you, Grandmother, I appreciate the support," Mia said with mock hauteur, before again relaxing and turning sly. "Actually, I was wondering... could I ask you a few questions?"

"About what?" Clarisse was simultaneously keen and wary- she suspected she knew what Mia wanted to ask and while she didn't blame her, she was a little apprehensive about what she would actually ask.

"About you... and Joe."

"What about us?" Joe inquired- he could understand the girl's curiousity and he was willing to answer a few questions, but he wasn't quite sure about his wife- he could see her apprehension on her face.

"I'm just curious about you two and your relationship... for example, it's been going on for a lot longer than five years, right?" Mia grinned impishly and there was a long pause as Clarisse and Joe looked at each other before Clarisse let out a sigh.

"Alright... but before the inquisition, I want you to know that I took my marriage vows to your grandfather very seriously and I was very fond of him."

She wanted Mia to realize that while she loved Joseph now, she and Rupert had had a relationship of sorts as well, as well as two sons. "Marriage is something I take very seriously and you will have to too when you finally decide to marry."

"Yeah, yeah I know that," Mia waved a hand carelessly and impatiently. "So... you and Joe? Was it love at first sight?"

"Not exactly- he was my personal bodyguard in the beginning and the relationship was strictly professional."

"Just like in 'The Bodyguard'," Mia sighed dreamily.

"'The... Bodyguard'?" Clarisse looked confused. "What is that?"

"A movie that you and Joe should watch sometime..." before she realized she had interrupted Clarisse. "I'm sorry Grandma, you were saying?"

"Our relationship was strictly professional for a long time- although Joseph had no problem telling me off when I had done something he felt was wrong," Clarisse shot her husband an amused look and he chuckled as he rested a hand on her knee.

"On one occasion in particular, I was a little afraid I was going to be fired!"

"When was that?"

"It was a time when your grandmother decided to go out horse riding... and she 'forgot' to tell anyone."

"There was no one available!" Clarisse protested, but there was a small smile on her lips.

"I don't know, my dear, there were usually quite a few bodyguards hovering around the grounds and the palace...and I was only in the security hub- all of us were quite easy to contact."

"Well, at the time, there was no one around and that's what you will have to believe!" Clarisse pretended to pout as she folded her arms over her chest, but her expression lightened to a smile almost immediately as Joseph gave her a disbelieving look."

"Alright, dear, whatever you say..."

"So? What happened?" Mia asked curiously and Clarisse chuckled sheepishly.

"Well..."

_0000000_

_Clarisse felt refreshed as she rode back over the palace grounds, toward the stables- she had needed the break from the endless paperwork, the staff and her philandering husband (not that he would have noticed her disappearance)- it had suddenly become all too much so hence, without telling anyone where she was going (although she knew, deep down that she should have told Joseph- the men were paid to protect her), she had changed and taken off, confident that she would be left alone and, for a blissful half hour, she was..._

_She sighed happily as Lady trotted towards the open doors of the stables-now she felt ready to step back into her real life again..._

"_Your Majesty," came a grave voice from inside the dark stable and Clarisse reigned in her horse just as Joseph stepped into the light._

"_Oh hello Joseph, I didn't see you there," she said cheerfully as a hovering groom held the horse steady and she dismounted before he disappeared with the horse. "How long were you standing there?"_

_"Long enough," he said evenly. "Where were you?"_

_"I went for a ride on the property- I was perfectly safe, Joseph," she said flippantly as she turned away from him and began walking back towards the palace. _

"_I wasn't to know that... and it was pretty selfish of you to go off without telling anyone, especially me or one of the team." He was provoking her but he didn't care- she had provoked him by recklessly disappearing withouth telling anyone. "We didn't know what had happened to you but you know perfectly well that you need protection wherever you go."_

_"Excuse me?" Her Majesty slwoly turned on her heel to give her bodyguard a very level look- how DARE he speak to her that way? Was he really calling her selfish?_

_"You heard me- you always need protection, wherever you go, even when you go riding, but you act as if you don't need it... but you do- do you understand me?"_

_"Are you lecturing me?" Clarisse bristled, rais__ing an eyebrow in displeasure. "You do realize that you're lecturing the Queen, your BOSS?"_

_"Yes," Joseph said carefully, not wanting to lose his temper. "...And maybe Her Majesty should realize that her bodyguards need to know where she is, otherwise if something happens, they will lose their jobs...although I would be very much surprised that you would remember something like that!"_

_He regretted the last words instantly- he had been trying not to lose his temper but he had finally cracked, but Her Majesty had to realize that her actions had consequences._

_"NOTHING happened while I was gone and DON'T you dare assum__e that I don't consider my security team, you are treading a very fine line... and I see that you're more concerned about your jobs than anything else!" she scowled at him, sounding slightly petulant as Joseph rolled his eyes in exasperation._

"_No, that's not the case at all... although it is very, very tempting to be that way- jobs are hard to come by, you know."  
There was a long silence as the Queen regarded him through narrow eyes before she stepped forward slightly._

"_I would be very, very careful about what you say next, Mr Bonnell- I am your boss, remember?"_

_"True..." he replied, still unfazed. "Still, you should have let someone know where you were going."_

_They regarded each other for a long time, neither of them wanting to back down, before Clarisse finally hissed "Fine!" and then spun on her heel and began stalking back towards the palace, Joseph following slowly after her._

_0000000_

"Wow, fireworks!" That's an indication of fire and passion!" Mia grinned.

"Speaking from experience, Mia?" Joseph teased and Mia blushed, all of them knowing he was referring to the moments she and Lord Nicholas had shared while she was engaged to Andrew Jacoby- thankfully, it all had resolved and she and Nicholas were now dating seriously.

"Touche," she finally responded with a wry grin. "Anyway, I'm assuming you didn't get fired?"

"Correct- your grandmother realized she was wrong..."

"I did not... I only gave in because you weren't going to!" Clarisse retorted before she smiled slightly. "Oh... that and I didn't really want another new bodyguard who had to be trained."

"Grandma!" Mia pretended to be shocked while Joseph, pretending to look insulted, shifted further down the sofa, stopped only by Clarisse's hand on his.

"I'm only joking... although I will admit I didn't appreciate the lecture- at the time, I felt that I knew what was best for me- but I didn't do it again," Clarisse said reassuringly as she and Joseph's hands met and entwined. "Anyway," she continued, starting to warm up to the confessional- she was sick of the secrets and Mia should know something about them. "After that particular incident, something changed between us, ever so slowly, but there was a change..."

"I was aware of it too," Joseph added. "My previous jobs had involved important people, but II was always the junior person on the team..."

"Whereas here you quickly scaled the ladder to actually SEE who you were protecting," Mia joked, giggling and narrowly avoiding a cushion heading her way.

"However, this assignment was different..."

"You were actually allowed near me?" Clarisse teased.

"Partly because of that," Joseph grinned at her. "Partly because I cared about my boss- and she was a very good one!"

"I don't think you need to flatter Grandma anymore, Joe, she is your wife."

"Thank you very much!" Clarisse said briskly. "Anyway, we both began to realize that he was only doing his job... and that he saw me more than the Queen but also as a person... Sometimes it's lonely when you're only seen as the King's wife or Consort- an institution- rather than who I am."

"I always saw you as a person,"Joe addressed his wife, Mia watching with a smile- they were so adorable together.

"A very, very good, kind, sweet person- although you did aggravate me on occasion," he teased with a smile and Clarisse only laughed. "But it was the way some members of parliament and Rupert treated you that really displeased me..." he trailed off, a look of displeasure on his face.

"I was able to handle it- they were (and are) all a bunch of grumpy olde men- although I did appreciate what you did for me," she trailed off, momentarily rememberingeverything... the times he had run interference between her and Rupert, informing him she was busy, even when she wasn't; the times he had been a silent witness to their arguments, her pain over Rupert's infidelities and then the even more unbearable agony of losing her boys (one son albiet temporarily)...he had been there and had said nothing unless she had wanted to.

All in all, she reflected, Joseph had been looking for and over her for a lot longer than she had consciously realized... he was a far better man than she had given him credit for.

"Grandma?" Mia's voice broke into her reverie and Clarisse gave a start. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Clarisse responded with a bright smile. "I just consciously realized how good Joseph has been to over the years- I have been very lucky to have him in my life," she smiled tenderly at him and Joseph, moved, leaned over and kissed her lightly on the forehead- this time, it was he who was feeling a little hesitant about showing affection.

"Aww... you two are so cute together," Mia broke the moment with a giggle and Joseph looked at her in consternation.

"Cute?"

"Cute, adorable- whatever," Mia said flippantly. "So you became friends over time?"

"Yes," Clarisse agreed. "I felt I could trust him more than anyone else- which, while not to impugn the skills and dedication of the others, is natural, in a way as you should be able to to trust your bodyguards but in another way..."

"It was inappropriate," Joseph took over. "The leve of trust between us was unusual- it formed a very strong bond and it was in some ways acceptable, considering how closely we worked together, although the staff, if they had thought about it, could have suspected there was something more..."

"Which, if there was, we ourselves didn't realize it for a long time and it was perfectly innocent, but no one said anything... and if Rupert suspected, he was too busy with... other pursuits," she finished quietly and Mia, as little as she knew about her grandfather's infidelities, didn't joke about it, only suspecting how much it would have hurt- no wonder her grandmother had found it difficult to trust people.

"So discretion was the name of the game?"

"Yes- and the staff were surprisingly discreet as well, although not so surprising as Rupert wasn't well liked."

"It helped that they all knew that I knew what they knew," Joseph added with a grin. "It can be a fearsome when I need to be."

"Except with us- you're just like a big pussycat!" Mia laughted while Joe rolled his eyes and Clarisse chuckled.

"So much for my reputation of being a tough guy," he grumbled, slightly disgruntled and Clarisse patted his arm soothingly.

"Don't worry darling, I'm sure your reputation is still very much in tact- for example, Lionel is very terrified of you."

"Lionel is only terrified of me because he knows I know he has a massive crush on you!"

"Nonsense!" Clarisse blushed- the notion was ridiculous as the young man was the same age as Mia and keen about his job, not about her, although she suspected her husband was right..."He's just enthusiastic about his job."

"And sticking close to you- he was very, very close to you when I introduced you to him," he growled- he had been annoyed at the time and he didn't regret pulling him away from the Queen at the time.

"But you pulled him up... it's all nonsenes and you have no need to be jealous."

"I'm not- he just annoys me."

"Still...he did do a good job while looking after me...but we won't argue about it," Clarisse added hastily as Joseph frowned- she knew he found the boy like a very large puppy, uncontrollable and too enthusiastic and impetuous, but he was also the Prime Minister's nephew and he knew that it was essential to keep the Prime Minister on side. "He's not guarding me anymore- he will be back at school by now."

"True... although I believe he's told Shades that he wants to come back when he graduates... lucky Shades!" Joe said with a wicked smile.

"At least he's enthusiastic about his career," Mia ventured. "And don't worry," she continued with a smile. "I don't plan on encouraging him- I don't want him to develop a crush on me!"

"I don't think Nicholas would appreciate it," Joseph said sternly but with a twinkle in his eye.

There was a long silence after his words as Mia considered what she had heard and what she could ask next, if anything- some things were meant to stay private.

"Is there anything else you want to know?" Clarisse, almost reading her mind, suddenly asked.

"You got closer as the years passed?"

"Yes."

"Rupert never suspected?"

"No."

"...and if he did, he could hardly say anything."

"Umm... did you and Joe ever..." Mia hesitated, the question awkward and audacious, but Clarisse immediately understood.

"No we didn't," she said firmly. "I took my marriage vows seriously and I wouldn't have considered... complicating things with Joseph while Rupert was alive- as much as Rupert may have deserved it, Joseph didn't."

"I respected her for that- I was willing to wait."

"What if..."

"If Rupert had lived, I would have accepted it, but I wouldn't have left... I know I was going to before the coronation, but I don't think I could have gone through with it... your grandmother was... is... my life."

"Thankfully you didn't have to," Mia said gently, realizing that she had heard enough- they deserved to keep some things to themselves and she could see the older couple was looking drained. "Just two more things."

"Oh?"

"Did Dad know?"

"Yes...in fact," Clarisse began chuckling. "He kept pushing us together, sometimes not very discreetly or successfully- I will have to tell you about the occasions sometime... and your other question?"

"On the night of my twenty first... you two disappeared during the evening- where did you go?"

Clarisse and Joseph looked at each other for a long moment- what HAD they done that evening? It seemed like a long time ago although, in reality, it had been maybe a month or so earlier, but so much had happened between then and now, before Mia, with a sly smile added:

"I remember going to be at midnight and when I retired, I discovered that Grandma wasn't there...and I knew that she had left earlier as everyone else began to leave...But since you weren't in your suite, I was wondering... where had you gone?"

"Well..." Clarisse began hesitatingly, casting her mind back over that night- it had been a couple of days after Mia's return to Genovia and there had been so much going on, including Mabrey stirring up trouble, although it had all been forgotten on the night of Mia's 21st...

_0000000_

_Feeling a little tired and wanting to retire as the evening started to wind to a close, Clarisse observed the room from her spot in the corner of the room, her role in the evening over, hoping that she would be able to make her escape without anyone noticing and, happily, she surmised that she might be able to do just that- Mia was happily occupied with her friends, most members of parliament (including Viscount Mabrey) were talking within groups, enjoying, as usual, the hospitality of the palace and the rest of the guest were either talking or dancing._

_She couldn't see Joseph anywhere- she assumed that he was either in the security room with Scott or doing a patrol of the grounds, although as her personal bodguard, he never usually did that- and while she knew she had to wait for him, Clarisse was tired and wanted to leave before anyone noticed._

_So, ever so discreetly and after ensuring that the rest of Mia's guests were well occupied, she glided calmly through the ballroom, towards the glass doors that lead out onto the balcony and the gardens beyond, smiling politely at guests who caught her eye, but she thankfully was undisturbed or stopped to talk to anyone as she reached the doorway and, after another swift glance around, Clarisse glided out of the ballroom._

_After closing the door and ensuring that no one had seen where she had gone, Clarisse let out a soft sigh, relaxing her posture slightly and walked over to the rail that over looked the gardens. It was a beautiful, clear star filled evening- she was glad about that, especially for Mia's sake- and while the breeze was slightly chilly, it wasn't cool enough to send her back inside._

_She was glad that Mia was back in Genovia- it wasn't the same when she came for summer vacations and Christmas, although she understood that the girl wanted to go to school in the United States- and she couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen in the ensuing months, leading up to her stepping down in October or November, depending on how things went between now and then. _

_Clarisse hoped that everything would be alright- Mia had matured a great deal since that first summer after her 16th birthday, and the country knew who she was and that she would eventually be Queen- but she had the awful feeling that something was going to happen that summer that was going to challenge both of them, although she sincerely hoped that her intuition would be wrong- Joseph and Phillipe had always accused her of being too pessimistic about life, but she always retorted that she had a good reason to be pessimistic- and Joseph in particular knew that, in recent years, she was right and now...with parliament creating situations that were becoming harder to control and extinguish..._

_Just then, as she stretched slightly and wondered whether she would be able to have a quick walk in the garden before she returned to the party, she heard a soft cough behind her and Clarisse turned to see Joseph walking slowly towards her._

"_Oh Joseph! I...I wasn't going anywhere!" she stammered slightly, well aware that Joseph didn't like it when she wandered off, but the expression on his face told her that he wasn't angry._

"_I know you weren't, but when you weren't inside the ballroom, I knew that you had disappeared and that I, as your HOS, had to follow you...and I knew you would be here- you wouldn't have had time to go anywhere else without someone seeing you."_

_"You know me too well, Joseph," Clarisse said with a smile as she reached over and touched his cheek with her gloved hand, as she had when she had been just about to make her entrance. "I..."_

_"Let's go for a walk," he suggested, offering her his arm and she took it with a smile before they walked across the balcony, down the steps and down towards the darkness that was the gardens._

_They didn't speak for a long time until they were climbing the stairs to the pagoda that was situated in the middle of the garden, illuminated only by the lights from the gardens themselves (and without a camera to observe) before he silently turned her towards him and, tilting her chin up, gave her a long, sweet kiss._

"_I've missed you," he murmured when they finally broke apart._

"_I've missed you too- the last week has been very quiet without you," she replied in a slightly husky voice. "But you had to be with Mia..."_

_"I didn't mind doing that- and it was a good day when she graduated..."_

_"I wish I could have been there."_

_"I know, as does Mia, but we both know with the situation with parliament..."_

_"Parliament..." her voice saddened for a moment before she looked back at him again. "Let's not talk about them tonight, I'm sure we'll hear from them soon enough."_

_"So you think...?" he sounded concerned._

"_Yes, I think there will be trouble, but until then..." she trailed off and he kissed her gloved hand lightly before guiding her over to the bench on the very edge of the pagoda._

"_No, let's not think about that tonight," he said in a soft voice as they sat down close together, her hand still firmly in his. "Did you get up to anything else while I was gone?"_

_"No, just work- although I did have dinner with Sebastian and Sheila...oh, by the way, he has a nephew that wishes to work here for the summer."_

_"Is he trained in security?"_

_"No, but I believe that he wants to become part of your team one day...of course, I said that we would be delighted to have him this summer."_

_"So I will have to look after a junior as well as you and the Princess this summer?" Joseph groaned._

"_Not necessarily- I would be more than happy to have Shades as my security, if you wish..." she couldn't help but chuckle softly as he moved closer to her and growled slightly._

"_That is one request that I will not be able to feel- as good as Shades is, he is not..."_

_"He is not you, and only one man is capable enough to guard me- you."_

_"Exactly."_

_There was a long comfortable silence as the two of them sat together, enjoying the evening and finally being back in close proximity to each other- Clarisse had been with Mia since her arrival and Joseph had been trying to catch up with paperwork._

"_How was America?"_

_"The usual- while I'm impressed with everything that occurs there, I'm more than happy to return to Genovia."_

_"And to me?" she teased and he laughed, pleased that she was finally feeling confident enough to tease him about their relationship- they had been walking on eggshells for so long and she had been so withdrawn until recently, he was glad that she was believing in them as a couple._

"_Oh, and of course returning to you," he replied just as teasingly before he leaned over and kissed her again. "I missed that."_

_"I missed that too...hopefully, soon, there should be some resolution and we...can be together all the time."_

_"I hope so too- it's my dearest wish now," he admitted as he caressed her cheek with a gentle hand- he had always felt, especially when he first started, that he was an oaf around the Queen, but now he knew different._

"_Mine too," she said softly- their relationship had been growing and evolving for so long, it was time for them to have some permanence...maybe marriage...and she was becoming more and more inclined to the idea of marriage, particularly after Mia ascended the throne...but, then again, Joseph had to want the idea as well. "But we have to wait until Mia ascends the throne."_

_"You're still hoping to do that by November?"_

_"Hopefully...if things don't get too challenging..." her brow furrowed in apprehension as she again reflected on the possibilities, before he took both her hands in his and turned her towards him._

"_Clarisse, you know I will always be here for you and I can wait- Mia needs to be ready for the throne, but I feel that she is."  
"I think she is too...and you are far too patient with me, Joseph, I don't deserve you," she looked at him a little sadly and he squeezed her hands again._

"_You do and I'm not- you do what you have to and I'll be here."_

"_Oh Joseph...I love you," she looked at him tenderly._

"_I love you too," before he leaned over and kissed her again, pulling away to see two small tears escaping from her eyes.  
There was another small silence as Clarisse looked away, trying to compose herself and Joseph waiting, not waiting to push her, before she stood up with a sigh._

"_I suppose I should be getting back- I assume that everyone will still be there."_

"_Not necessarily," Joseph slowly stood up beside her with a grin._

"_Oh?"_

_"When I saw you leave, I alerted Shades and some of the others that you had gone and...maybe they could try and hint that some of the guests should leave."_

_"You didn't?!"_

_"I did- and you needn't pretend to be shocked, I know that you would prefer to go to bed."_

_"Alright," she acquiesced after a moment, a small smile flitting over her lips before she looked at him again with mock imperiousness. "But don't you do that again, Joseph Bonnell, otherwise I will have to reprimand you."_

_"I'm sorry Your Majesty, I won't do it again," he pretended to look apologetic before they both burst out laughing as he slipped her arm through his and they began to make their way back to the palace, Clarisse feeling much better- she had missed him greatly over the week- while they had only admitted their love for each other only fairly recently (after San Francisco) and while they knew it had been present for a lot longer, they were best friends as well and she felt fortunate enough to have Joseph as her best friend- she had come to rely on him more than she realized, and she hoped that, one day, they could have a future together.  
_

_0000000_

"Aww, that is so sweet- you snuck off so you could have some private time together- Grandma, was it deliberate?"

"I went out for some air... and Joseph happened to follow me...I'm not that cunning, Mia," Clarisse pretended to look insulted.

"Really, my dear?" Joseph gave her a significant look and she had the grace to blush.

"Well, maybe not quite so much..."

"Hey..."Mia began, other questions beginning to form in her mind, but before she could say anymore, Pierre appeared in the doorway.

"This is where you three are! It's lunchtime, the staff are waiting to serve and Nicholas and I are starving- are you coming or not?"

"Sorry dear," Clarisse said gently as Joseph helped her up, relieved that he had appeared- she sensed that Mia was developing more questions to ask. "We were just talking and lost track of time...Mia, are you coming?" she turned to her granddaughter, who smiled and stretched.

"Of course, it's lunchtime...but I do have something else to ask you..."

"Some other time, dear, some other time!" Clarisse said with a wink as she looped her arm through Joseph's and they walked out of the room, Mia grinning in her wake.


End file.
